Stuart Little (franchise)
| Stuart Little | |
|---|---|
 Logo used in the first film | |
| Directed by | Rob Minkoff (1 and 2) Audu Paden (3) |
| Produced by | Douglas Wick Lucy Fisher |
| Starring | Michael J. Fox Geena Davis Hugh Laurie (More) |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri (1 and 2) Atli Örvarsson (3) |
Production companies | Franklin/Waterman Productions (1 and 2) Mainframe Entertainment (3) Red Wagon Entertainment (1, 2 and 3) |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures (1 and 2) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (3) |
Release dates | 1: December 17, 1999 2: July 19, 2002 3: October 11, 2005 |
Running time | 237 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Stuart Little is a mixed live-action and animated American film franchise based on the 1945 children's book Stuart Little by E. B. White. The films are produced by Franklin / Waterman Productions and released by Columbia Pictures.
The franchise follows the adventures of Stuart Little, a young white mouse who is adopted by a human couple and embarks on life-changing adventures.
Films
[edit]Stuart Little (1999)
[edit]Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox) is an anthropomorphic teenage white mouse who is adopted into a human family. His new parents, Eleanor and Frederick (Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie) are thrilled with him, but everyone else is not. Through a series of adventures he eventually gains the love of his big brother George, (Jonathan Lipnicki), acceptance by the extended Little family, and even the grudging tolerance of the family cat Snowbell (voiced by Nathan Lane), who is a member of an alley cat Mafia-like gang that wants to eliminate Stuart.
Stuart Little 2 (2002)
[edit]In the sequel, Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox) and his brother George (Jonathan Lipnicki) are attending school together, but his mother (Geena Davis) doesn't seem to think Stuart is capable of taking care of himself. Later, Stuart meets a yellow canary named Margalo (voiced by Melanie Griffith) who he unintentionally saves from an evil Falcon (voiced by James Woods) and eventually becomes smitten with her. But one day, when Margalo is nowhere to be found, Stuart and Snowbell (voiced by Nathan Lane) team up to go and find her.
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild (2005)
[edit]In the third film, Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox) and his family are spending their summer vacation in a cabin near the fictional Lake Garland. Stuart signs up to be a lake-scout in an attempt to prove to his mother (voiced by Geena Davis) that he doesn't need to be watched over all the time. Soon, Stuart meets a new friend: a skunk named Reeko (voiced by Wayne Brady) whom he quickly befriends. But when a ferocious puma named the Beast (voiced by Virginia Madsen) hatches a plot to make a rug out of Snowbell's fur (voiced by Kevin Schon), Stuart must gather up all his courage to save him.
Possible reboot
[edit]It was reported by the Tracking Board and Zimbio that a new Stuart Little film was in development by Sony Pictures Animation and Red Wagon Productions with Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher returning as the producers. Similar to the first two films, it will feature a combination of live-action and computer animation. The reboot will not be a sequel to the previous films and is said to be in the vein of a John Hughes film.[1][2]
It has been stated that the film will be a more faithful adaptation of the E. B. White novel than the previous films, and was originally set to be released in either 2018 or 2019.[3] As of 2024, the film's status remains unknown.
On October 3, 2023, it was announced an animated series reboot of Stuart Little is currently in the works at Sony Pictures Television Kids. It will be similar to the 1999 film and its sequels from 2002 and 2005. David Kaufman will reprise his role as Stuart in the reboot.[4]
Television
[edit]Stuart Little (2003)
[edit]An animated series taking place between the events of the second and third films premiered on HBO Family on March 1, 2003. It ran for a single season consisting of 13 episodes. While the series was traditionally animated, every episode included a segment in which a CGI-esque Stuart would recount an event that would open and end each episode. Hugh Laurie, Jeffrey Jones, and Marc John Jefferies reprised their roles as Frederick, Uncle Crenshaw and Will respectively, while the rest of the characters were voiced by veteran voice actors.
Video games
[edit]Various video games based on Stuart Little were produced, but were mostly based on the films. Stuart Little: Big City Adventures based on the 1999 film, was released for Microsoft Windows in 1999. Stuart Little: The Journey Home based on the 1999 film, was released exclusively for the Game Boy Color in 2001. A game based on Stuart Little 2 was released for the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows in 2002. A third game, entitled Stuart Little 3: Big Photo Adventure was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2 in 2005, although it is not related to the film Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild.
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Stuart Little | 67% (97 reviews)[5] | 61 (32 reviews)[6] |
| Stuart Little 2 | 81% (123 reviews)[7] | 66 (29 reviews)[8] |
| Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | N/A (1 review)[9] | N/A |
Box office performance
[edit] |
| Film | Release date | Revenue | Budget | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | ||||
| Stuart Little | December 17, 1999 | $140,035,367 | $160,100,000 | $300,135,367 | $133,000,000 | - |
| Stuart Little 2 | July 19, 2002 | $64,956,806 | $105,000,000 | $169,956,806 | $120,000,000 | - |
| Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | October 11, 2005 | $11,776,585 (DVD sales) | N/A | $11,776,585 (DVD sales) | N/A | - |
| Total | $216,768,758 | $265,100,000 | $481,868,758 | $253,000,000 | - | |
Cast and crew
[edit]Principal cast
[edit]List indicator(s)
- A dark gray cell indicates the character was not featured in that installment.
- A V indicates a performance through voice-over work.
| Characters | Films | Animated series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Little | Stuart Little 2 | Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | Stuart Little | |
| 1999 | 2002 | 2005 | 2003 | |
| Stuart Little | Michael J. FoxV | David KaufmanV | ||
| Mrs. Eleanor Little | Geena Davis | Geena DavisV | Jennifer HaleV | |
| Mr. Frederick Little | Hugh Laurie | Hugh LaurieV | ||
| George Little | Jonathan Lipnicki | Corey PadnosV | Myles JeffreyV | |
| Martha Little | Anna and Ashley Hoelck | Uncredited voice | Jennifer HaleV | |
| Snowbell | Nathan LaneV | Kevin SchonV | Quinton FlynnV | |
| Kevin SchonV | ||||
| Monty | Steve ZahnV | Rino RomanoV | André SogliuzzoV | |
| Smokey | Chazz PalminteriV | |||
| Reginald Stout | Bruno KirbyV | |||
| Camille Stout | Jennifer TillyV | |||
| Uncle Crenshaw Little | Jeffrey Jones | Jeffrey JonesV | ||
| Lucky | Jim DoughanV | |||
| Red | David Alan GrierV | |||
| Mrs. Keeper | Julia Sweeney | |||
| Aunt Tina Little | Connie Ray | |||
| Aunt Beatrice Little | Allyce Beasley | |||
| Cousin Edgar Little | Brian Doyle-Murray | |||
| Grandma Estelle Little | Estelle Getty | |||
| Grandpa Spencer Little | Harold Gould | |||
| Uncle Stretch Little | Patrick Thomas O'Brien | |||
| Anton | Miles Marsico | |||
| Margalo | Melanie GriffithV | Kathy NajimyV | ||
| The Falcon | James WoodsV | Pat FraleyV | ||
| Will | Marc John Jefferies | Marc John JefferiesV | ||
| Reeko | Wayne BradyV | |||
| The Beast | Virginia MadsenV | |||
| Troopmaster Bickle | Peter MacNicolV | |||
| Brooke | Tara StrongV | |||
Additional crew
[edit]| Role | Film | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Little | Stuart Little 2 | Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | |
| 1999 | 2002 | 2005 | |
| Director(s) | Rob Minkoff | Audu Paden | |
| Producer(s) | Douglas Wick | Douglas Wick Lucy Fisher |
Douglas Wick Lucy Fisher Leslie Hough |
| Writer(s) | Screenplay by: M. Night Shyamalan Greg Brooker |
Screenplay by: Bruce Joel Rubin Story by: Douglas Wick Bruce Joel Rubin |
Screenplay by: Bob Shaw Don McEnery Story by: Douglas Wick |
| Composer(s) | Alan Silvestri | Atli Örvarsson | |
| Cinematographer(s) | Guillermo Navarro | Steven Poster | — |
| Editor(s) | Tom Finan | Priscilla Nedd-Friendly | Robert Gordon Bruce King |
References
[edit]- ^ "Stuart Little is Getting A Remake". CinemaBlend.com. August 2, 2015.
- ^ "A 'Stuart Little' Live Action Reboot Is In The Works Under Sony Pictures And Red Wagon Ent". kpopstarz.com. August 3, 2015.
- ^ "Stuart Little Remake Planned at Sony". MovieWeb.com. August 3, 2015.
- ^ "MIPJunior & MIPCOM: New Toons from Sony Kids, Blue Ant, MIAM! & Monster, Plus More 'Fireman Sam' & 'Polly Pocket'". www.animationmagazine.net.
- ^ "Stuart Little". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Stuart Little". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Stuart Little 2 - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. 2002-07-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Stuart Little 2". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
